The Kamloops Symphony has launched its new season, and, as the orchestra’s enthusiastic media release says:  ”Music Director Bruce Dunn has done it again! His twenty first season with the Kamloops Symphony is just as fresh and new as the first one was.”  The KSO’s program for 2010-11 includes a ten-concert classics series featuring “treasured Kamloops performers” and well-known Canadian soloists, a 6-concert chamber music series, and such special events as a recital by tenor Richard Margison, and a sing-along Messiah.  It’s a busy season – but that’s not all:  the KSO presents a three-concert series in Salmon Arm as well.  To learn more, please visit here.

On April 22, Aradia Ensemble (Kevin Mallon, director) will give a free hour-long lunch-time concert at Toronto’s Four Seasons Centre, featuring excerpts from Samuel Arnold’s Polly, written as a sequel to the composer’s highly successful The Beggar’s Opera.

Aradia’s recording of Polly, which will be released for sale at the concert, is a world premier recording.  Aradia Ensemble Director Kevin Mallon will be joined by Laura Albino as Polly, Marion Newman as Jenny Diver, Jason Nedecky as Ducat, Loralie Kirkpatrick as Trapes, Gillian Grossman as the Indian Scout, Sean Watson as Morano and introducing Kyra Folk- Farber as Mrs. Ducat.

This week, April 16 and 17, the Kamloops Symphony (under the direction of Bruce Dunn) will present a pair of Charlie Chaplin movies, complete with live accompaniment.  The films are The Rink and The Adventurer, and they’ve been freshly scored for smaller orchestra by Carl Davis.  As the KSO’s media release advises, “a large screen will fill the stage to provide a larger than life view of The Rink and The Adventurer. American composer Aaron Copland’s Music for the Theatre sets the stage for an evening of hilarity.”

Les Violons du Roy (led by principal guest conductor Jean-Marie Zeitouni, and featuring violinist Vadim Guzman) will present a dynamic and varied program of music from North and South America, tonight (April 16) at the Palais Montcalm.  Works include Chavez’s Toccata for percussion, Villa Lobos’s Bachianas brasileiras #9, two tangos by Piazzolla, Prevost’s Scherzo, Barber’s Adagio, and Bernstein’s Serenade for violin, strings and percussion.

From May 4 to 13, the Orchestre symphonique de Montreal (led by Music Director Kent Nagano) will present a comprehensive Beethoven festival that includes all nine symphonies, the Triple Concerto, and a new work by Booker Prize-winning author Yann Martel, narrated by Michel Dumont and set to the ballet music from Creatures of Prometheus.  Featured soloists in the “Triple” are James Ehnes, violin; Antonio  Meneses, cello; and Menahem Pressler, piano.

The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra (ESO) has announced a four-year extension of William Eddins’ contract as Music Director. Presently in his fifth season at the helm of the orchestra with one year remaining on his current contract, this extension will see Eddins conducting the ESO through the 2014-2015 season. This partnership, which began in September 2005, will mark a significant and stable period of artistic leadership for Eddins and the ESO. Since the professional establishment of the orchestra in 1952, only one other ESO Music Director reached the 10-year tenure, that being Uri Mayer, who held the position for 13 seasons, from 1981-1994.

Nurhan Arman, Music Director of Sinfonia Toronto, has announced the appointment of Canadian composer Heather Schmidt as the orchestra’s Composer-in-Residence for the 2009-2010 season.  In making the announcement Maestro Arman said, “I am thrilled that Heather Schmidt will be closely involved with us this year. I am looking forward to leading the world premieres of her new Piano Concerto and a Cello Concerto that she is writing for us, and working on many other projects together throughout the season. This appointment re-emphasizes Sinfonia Toronto’s commitment to Canadian composers.”
 
Earlier this week, Executive Director Katherine Carleton presented the first of this year’s Orchestras Canada Betty Webster Awards to Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, at the opening of their Toronto season of concerts.  The festivities continue in October, when award winners Kathy Humphreys (General Manager of the Kamloops Symphony) and Jeff Alexander (President and CEO of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra) will be presented with their awards.  We are proud to salute these leading citizens in the Canadian orchestral community!

The Toronto Symphony Orchestra has announced that Jennifer MacDonald will join the TSO Music Department as Artist Liaison/Assistant to Artistic Administration.  Jennifer comes directly to the TSO from Ottawa where, for the past two seasons, she has been Artistic Administrator of the highly successful Ottawa Chamber Music Society.  She holds a Bachelors degree in Music (piano) from Mount Allison and a Masters in Musicology from McGill.